The current application targets patient education and enablement, implementation of best practices, continuity of care, and an improvement model to improve efficiencies by investigating whether a brief targeted intervention prior to the first formal ED assessment is efficacious in altering outcome and treatment course.

Investigate whether a wait list intervention for patients and families who are on a wait list, improves patient presentation at the time of formal assessment, as well as 6-months post-assessment [ Time Frame: 18 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Evaluate the impact that a wait list intervention group workshop has on caregiver knowledge, stress, and self-efficacy pertaining to eating disorders and their treatment [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

The intervention involves completion of a single workshop, provision of psychoeducational materials, and regular telephone support with a specially trained nurse-coordinator to parents of youth on our waiting list, within a month of our receiving the referral.

Behavioral: Psychoeducational Workshop and telephone support

The intervention involves completion of a single workshop (delivered by a psychiatrist and adolescent health physician), provision of psycho educational materials, and regular telephone support with a specially trained nurse-coordinator to parents of youth on our waiting list.

No Intervention: Standard of Care

These patients continue to receive the standard of care while awaiting formal assessment.

Detailed Description:

The Eating Disorder Program at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) offers a continuum of treatment options to child and adolescent patients with eating disorders (EDs). Although our own funding has increased in recent years, so too have the number of referrals, which has resulted in lengthy wait times for therapeutic assessments by our team. The current application targets patient education and enablement, implementation of best practices, continuity of care, and an improvement model to improve efficiencies by investigating whether a brief targeted intervention prior to the first formal ED assessment is efficacious in altering outcome and treatment course. It is well known that early recognition and implementation of treatment as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms is protective in eating disorders and leads to better success rates and recovery (APA Treatment Guidelines for EDs). It is hoped that the outcome of this study will influence the way in which centers look to address the ongoing issue of lengthy wait times in hopes of offering cost-effective interventions that ultimately improve patient outcomes. By offering an added level of support to families whose referral has been initiated, we hope to ease the burden of primary care providers and increase their satisfaction as it relates to patient safety concerns and complex case management.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

10 Years to 17 Years (Child)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

medical stability at time of referral

completed referral to the Eating Disorders Program

Exclusion Criteria:

patients deemed medically unstable are triaged urgently and not eligible for study inclusion

Contacts and Locations

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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01051375